Women's Basketball

Countdown to Tipoff: Kristine Brance & Mi'Chael Wright

Nov 04, 2013

For the new recruiting class, the UCSB coaching staff had no boundaries on where to find the top basketball talent for the 2013-14 roster. From Los Angeles to Northern Europe, no stone was left unturned.

From Santa Clarita, Calif., Mi'Chael Wright will look to be a force in the low post for the Gauchos. Using her athleticism and size, she was able to score an average of 15 points and bring down 290 total rebounds in her senior year at Chaminade College Prep. Wright was named to MaxPrep's All-California second team as a forward in the same season she was selected as the Southern Section 3A Player of the Year.

She finished her high school career with over 1,000 points and 1,200 rebounds.

Wright's numbers didn't just make her standout to Division I recruits, but they also propelled the Eagles to the CIF Division III Championships, as well as three consecutive league championships.

Hailing from Riga, Latvia, Kristine Brance will add a wealth of experience to the UCSB roster. She played for the Latvian U20 national team during the 2011 European Championships and had a standout tenure at Chipola College (Florida).

While with the Indians last season, Brance averaged 14.2 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game. Shooting 39 percent from the field, Brance's scoring touch led Chipola to an Elite Eight berth in the NJCAA Women's National Basketball Tournament in which she was a Second Team All-Tournament selection.

Wright, Brance, and the rest of the Gauchos will open the 2013-14 season on Monday, Nov. 4 in the Thunderdome when they host Vanguard in an exhibition game.

Great season ticket packages are available for the Gauchos. This year's home schedule includes plenty of high-profile matchups including Arizona, Utah State, and San Diego State, a rematch of last season's WNIT game.

For more information or to purchase season tickets, drop by the Ticket Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus, call 805-893-UCSB (8272) or click here.